"We have a good working relationship," Dayton said after the meeting, which came at Cornish's request. "He's very thoughtful in his comments. I didn't make any commitments one way or another."

The House is expected to give final approval to the bill this week and send it to Dayton. Supported by the National Rifle Association and opposed by law-enforcement, the bill expands the legal definitions of places and situations in which citizens can use deadly force when they feel seriously threatened.

"I promised him earlier that I would take the full three days after it is passed and review it, and talk to people on both sides," Dayton said, referring to the three-day period a governor has to decide whether to sign or veto a bill once it is passed and presented to him. "I intend to carry that out."

He said Cornish, whose law-enforcement resume includes work as a conservation officer and Lake Crystal police chief, made his pitch "in a very low-key way." "He talked about his own experiences, knocking on doors, knocking down doors, going into places," Dayton said. "He brings that credibility, that he's been in the real world."